


The quest

by sonotadream



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Knights & Princesses, Quests, medieval setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 22:25:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5945442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonotadream/pseuds/sonotadream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Knight must accompany a Princess in her quest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The quest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [partypaprika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/partypaprika/gifts).



"Yes, your Highness, I'll gladly accompany the Princess in her quest." 

And that was it. Instead of joining the guard or the Errand Knights Guild, Hilde would be escorting the Princess into the wilderness. Although calling it the wilderness was something of a stretch: the Old Temple was less than week of travel away from the city and there were neither bandits or predators in the forest.

Still, it was traditional for the Heir to the Throne to be accompanied by a Knight and it was quite a honour for Hilde to be chosen.

Dealing with Princess Ella, on the other hand... 

To be fair, she wasn't the worst noble Hilde had ever dealt with. She could ride like a knight and, at the very least, hold a sword. But she complained about riding all day, about camping in the forest and, above all, about the food rations. 

"We could stop to hunt or to search for a tavern, but that would only delay us and lead to the necessity of spending more time outdoors, " Hilde explained, with great patience. 

"On the other hand, we would comfortable," the Princess retorted. 

"I was under the impression that time was a constraint."

"Oh, please. You realise this quest," she pronounced the word with quite the amount of derision, "it's nothing but an useless tradition that has far outlived its purpose. The Heir to the Throne," the Princess recited, "must travel to the Old Temple and spend the night in prayer in order to prove their worth as ruler. It's demeaning," she concluded. 

"Demeaning? It's a sacred tradition!"

"When I'm Queen I shall put a stop to it," the Princess said, in a tone Hilde found petulant. She didn't say anything else. It was not her job to tell the Princess how to rule - not that she showed her the same consideration - and she wanted the trip to go as smoothly as possible.

The Princess wasn't a lot of help in that regard. She insisted they stopped by a stream once, so she could get a bath, further delaying their journey, while Hilde fumed in silence.

"Only three more days," she told herself, "then she'll be back in Court, I get paid, and we can both go our separate ways."

"Cheese, again?" the Princess said, that night. "Couldn't you have brought more varied supplies?"

"No."

The Princess sighed, loudly. 

"Think positive, m'lady. Tomorrow we'll reach the temple and our journey will be over."

"Oh, the temple."

Hilde wanted to sighed as loudly as the Princess had, but she was a level-headed knight and managed to resist the impulse. She didn't feel like dropping the subject this time. "Your dismissal of our kingdom's traditions is getting a bit tiresome, m'lady."

"I have the utmost respect for all our traditions. Except the stupid ones." 

"You are following in the footsteps of our first King. Your direct ancestor, by the way." 

"You don't really believe he was chosen by the gods, do you?" The Princess gave Hilde an almost scathing look. "He lived centuries ago, the stories about him are more legend than fact at this point. He probably didn't even step into this temple. Never."

"The fact his life is myth is unimportant!" Hilde argued back. "It's our traditions that unify us. The fact we share the same myths and legends and tales is what makes us a country. If you want to rule us, you have to respect that."

"If I want to rule?" The Princess' eyes were open in shock. "If I want... Do you know how hard I've worked all my life? I've been attending council meetings since I was twelve, I have to get along with all the major families, even if they don't get along among themselves. And with our allies and our enemies. I had to study economics! Do you know how boring and non-sensical economics are?" The Princess made a pause here and Hilde nodded, as was probably expected of her.

"And, unless the Gods give the right sign, I'm considered unfit to rule. Unfit to rule!" The Princess threw her hands in the air, the very face of exasperation.

Hilde waited a moment, to see if the Princess had anything more to say, when she didn't, Hilde spoke. "The Gods never actually give a sign."

"How would you know? There's never anyone else- Oh."

"Exactly. Whatever happens or doesn't happen, is your word for it."

"I never though about it that way." The Princess looked at Hilde like she was seeing her in a new light. "I thought you were more superstitious."

"I want to be an wandering knight. I can't afford to be superstitious, otherwise I would be jumping every time a owl hoots in the woods."

"I misjudged you, in any case. I'm sorry."

"I misjudged you too, m'lady. I apologize. I should have realized you had reasons to be annoyed."

The Princess shrugged. "Oh, don't worry, I was more impertinent than I should have been. And call me Ella. Please?"

They arrived at the Temple the next day. They stood at the door, the inside looking quite ominous from the distance.

Ella grabbed Hilde's hand. "Well, I wasn't expecting this to be easy, anyway."

"I could go with you?"

"Don't be silly. I'll be fine. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll stand guard."


End file.
